Second Best
by Allora Gale
Summary: Marauder Era. Sirius and Remus have always been best friends, but what happens when Sirius steals the only girl Remus has ever loved. Will Remus always only be second best?
1. Chapter 1

He was completely oblivious to her as she forced herself to keep her eyes down at the blank piece of parchment in front of her. You don't want to see it, she told herself adamantly, but she still glanced out of the corner of her eye against her better judgment. Sirius Black, the most gorgeous guy in school, and another of his nameless, faceless girlfriends were making out hot and heavy on the couch by the fire.

Someone gave a little cough across the table from her; she glanced up. A handsome boy with tawny hair and intense, mysterious eyes was looking at her. His name was Remus, they'd been friends, sort of, since first year. He rolled his eyes and, with a shrug of his lithe shoulders, flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry about them." He mouthed as he nodded in Sirius' direction. She glanced back towards the couple, it looked like Sirius had just come up for air as he was breathing heavily and smiling at his girlfriend.

She shook her head and returned her attention to her blank piece of parchment. This was the fifteen-inch essay they'd been assigned on transfiguring books into frying pans for her Transfiguration class. Like usual she had left it to the last minute. It was due tomorrow morning, first thing after breakfast, and she hadn't even started. She dipped her quill in ink again, for the umpteenth time, determined that she would start it this time. Her quill almost touched the parchment when she heard another brainless giggle and a muffled 'oomph'.

There went that idea. She sat listening, almost in a dreamlike state. What she wouldn't have done to be that girl, for it to be her kissing his roguish mouth. She bit her lip as more muffled giggles and whispers came from the couch.

"It's not going to write itself, you know."

She glanced up. Remus was watching her with a peculiar, sad, half-grin. She looked back down at her essay, her quill was still poised over the parchment as though daring the words to come out. "I can't concentrate." She muttered pulling on a strand of her straight, blonde hair. If anything, his smile grew sadder.

"I can help you, if you want. I've been done mine for a couple days." Remus offered.

She sighed in relief, "That would be really great, Remus."

He moved around the table and sat next to her, his tall, lanky frame partially blocking the couch from view, although she could still hear them. She could have sworn that he'd accidentally on purpose brushed his hand against her arm as he was reaching for her transfiguration book. She ignored it as she pulled her class notes closer and began reading them over.

After two hours they had nearly finished. They were stumped over the last question. In what kind of situation would turning your books into frying pans be useful? Remus smiled sheepishly and admitted that he'd just told Professor McGonagall that he couldn't think of any uses for transfiguring books into frying pans except that it would increase his knowledge in transfiguration. But he wasn't satisfied in putting that answer down on two essays, not to mention it would make them both look like lazy suck-ups.

At the moment they were trying to cook up some crazed story about when you would need to conjure up a frying pan out your book. "Okay, okay, I've got it," Remus said, "So, we're walking around with our school bags, so we have books, and then suddenly a big black dog jumps out at us. We whip out our wands and transfigure our books into frying pans, then whap the mangy mutt to scare it away."

Aislin burst out laughing, "I like dogs, but you are on to something. Did you read that article about werewolves in the _Prophet_ last week? So I'll change our story. We're walking along with our school bags, like you said, and suddenly a big, ferocious, werewolf jumps out. Now, I, ever being the quick thinker, transfigure my potions manual into a giant, silver, wok. You take the wok, bop the bugger on the head, it goes out like a light, you and I are heroes."

She looked over at him, but he wasn't smiling, she rolled her eyes, "Relax, I doubt I'm ever going to run into a werewolf. And if I did I wouldn't ask you to save me from it with a wok. What's wrong?"

He looked back at her and gave her a weak smile, "Nothing, sorry. I just got a headache all of a sudden."

"Oh," She muttered and glanced up at the clock, "Holy crap, it's past midnight already! I didn't even realize." She quickly scribbled out her werewolf and the wok idea at the end of her essay and added a conclusion. "You don't have to stay if your head hurts."

"I like being with you." He said quietly so that she almost couldn't hear. She gave him a sidelong glance and smiled.

"Sure, sure," She teased, "You just felt sorry because I couldn't concentrate on my essay."

He muttered something under his breath but she only caught, ". . . wish . . me . . . . concentrate." Before standing up and heading back for the dorm.

"Hey, Remus!" She called after him as she hastily collected her things. "Thanks for all the help, I still wouldn't be started if it weren't for you." She said when he turned to face her. He just waved his hand and disappeared up the stairs.

She followed suit and hastily made her way up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Sirius and bimbo # 247 were still at it on the couch. She collapsed onto her bed and willed the image out of her mind. Soon there wouldn't be any girls left in the school for him to turn to. But did she really just want to be bimbo # 375? She wouldn't be, she told herself. She could change the ways of Sirius Black; she just knew she could.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus sighed as he dropped down onto his bed. He'd watched her for hours, pretending to be reading his Potions manual, as she'd sat over her blank parchment making surreptitious glances over at Sirius. Every time she did it he watched her become a little bit more sad, then a little bit more determined. So he'd offered to help her. They were in Transfiguration together, sometimes they even sat together and he'd feel really bad if she didn't get her essay finished.

He smiled, they'd sat, heads bowed together, pouring over the material as she hastily scrawled down interesting points about the transfiguration process. He'd relished those moments, the smell of her hair nearly intoxicated him as it fell around her shoulders like liquid gold in the dim candle light. More than once, she'd taken him by surprise by asking him a question, after which he'd manage to mumble something in reply rather incoherently. And he'd watched her wide, blue eyes scan across the material quickly and he felt this raging jealousy that it wasn't he who drew her gaze away from the text, but rather one of his best friends.

He realized, at some point in time, that she was just oblivious to his longing looks at her, as Sirius was to hers. And then the conversation had turned to killing werewolves with silver woks and he'd snapped back to reality. He was a werewolf, and if he ever got into a serious relationship, especially with her, he'd have to tell her. He might have told her tonight at the mention of the article in the _Daily Prophet_, except she'd gone straight on to the point of killing them with silver woks. But he could have trusted her with it, he bet. She wasn't like the other girls, gossiping about anything and everything. In fact, she didn't even have that many people she could tell if she'd wanted to. She didn't have too many friends, as most of the girls at Hogwarts were of the variety that Sirius had been kissing.

_"Relax, I doubt I'm ever going to run into a werewolf."_ She'd soothed flippantly. It still rang in his mind. "Oh, Aislin, you already have." He whispered before stuffing his head into the pillow hoping it would stop his thoughts. Then he laughed, could you take out a werewolf with a silver wok?

What was it about her that drew him in so deeply? But he already knew the answer, and it wasn't just because she was beautiful and kind to him, it was also because she was the exact type of girl that Sirius didn't like, but he was crazy for. She wasn't overtly girly, spending hours on her appearance, but it's not like she didn't care about her appearance at all either. She always managed to look pretty which was impressive because she spent most of her free time digging in the dirt in the greenhouse with Professor Sprout or down by Hagrid's hut, where they shared a curiosity for magical creatures. She was wild, like him. Well, maybe not as wild as he was. He was a beast after all.

Before he could flip over and pretend he was already asleep, Sirius sauntered in and flashed a grin at him. "Way to reel them in, Moony." Sirius said as he plopped down onto his own bed, next to Remus'. "I saw you over there, checking her out. It's about time too. How long have you been pining over her?"

"It'd be a lot easier if she wasn't in love with the infamous Sirius Black." Remus replied bitterly as he threw one of his textbooks at his friend.

Sirius shrugged, "She's not my type."

"Yeah, well, she doesn't know that." He retorted, but it came out muffled as he'd already shoved his face into the pillow.

"Right," Sirius said, obviously having no clue about the last statement, "G'night then, mate."

Remus didn't reply, but he lay in the following silence for hours with his thoughts spinning. He wanted her. There was no one else that he'd ever met that he could think of that he wanted more. His thoughts drifted back to earlier, he'd purposely grazed her arm when he'd reached for her text book. Even that small touch had sent electric shocks down his spine, but he tried not to remember that it had had absolutely no effect on her.

He groaned and shoved his face further into the pillow, either he would fall asleep or he would pass out from the lack of air from smothering himself with his own pillow.

The next morning at breakfast he watched her, in hushed conversation with her friend Demi Hannah at the far end of the table. Demi wasn't popular at all, in fact, Aislin was her only friend. Demi was quiet, shy and a complete bookworm. He'd tried to talk to her a couple times before, but every time he said something her face would go bright red and she scurry away without giving a reply.

Of course, she did have other friends, and Remus wasn't the only boy in the school who liked her. He watched with some jealousy as Jackson Finch from Ravenclaw came over to talk to her. Jackson had been wanting to go out with Aislin since third year, Remus had developed his crush during second year. His jealousy seemed to be unfounded as he watched her say something to him and his shoulders slump before walking dejectedly away.

This was the strange thing about her. Although she had been asked out multiple times (mostly by Jackson, as he, himself, hadn't bucked up enough courage to attempt it yet) she never accepted. She was saving herself for Sirius.

"Just ask her to go to Hogsmeade with you next weekend." Sirius said after stomping on his foot to get his attention.

"Jackson probably just asked her. And she obviously said no. I doubt I'd have any better luck." He snapped.

"Sure you would!" Sirius said. "She'd obviously go out with you, you're my best friend. If she likes me as much as you say she does, she'd go out with you just to get close to me."

"I don't want to be used so she can get close to you." Remus retorted.

"Moony, if you're shy, I'll ask her for you." Sirius said convincingly.

"Yeah, that would just make her day." Remus glared.

"I'm sick of your pining; it's been what, four years now? If you don't ask her out by the end of the day, I'm going to do it for you." Sirius said with a smile.

"Who are you asking out now, Padfoot?" James said as he finally joined them in the Great Hall.

"No one, Moony's going to ask out Aislin, finally." Sirius replied as he grabbed another piece of toast and began smearing it with jam.

In Transfiguration they sat next to each other and he honestly tried to ask her out. But every time he worked up the courage to do it he'd instantly deflate. The first time went something like this:

"Aislin?" Remus asked quietly. They were transfiguring owls into lamps and between the commotion the other students were making while trying to keep their owls in place, and the hoo's of the owls in protest, he knew they wouldn't be overheard.

"Yeah, Remus?" She'd asked as she viscously grabbed her owl and sat it back down on the table. It gave an indignant hoo at it's treatment. Then she'd looked at him, and their eyes had connected for a split second. Big, wide, blue eyes that seemed to look through him and showed the wildness inside her at the same time. How could he tame that?

"Uh, nothing. Never mind." He'd managed to mutter before turning back to his own owl. This was ridiculous. He was a Marauder; he could have any girl he wanted in the school, except the one he actually wanted.

The rest of his attempts ended similarly so that when they were sitting at supper that night in the Great Hall he just ignored Sirius' pointed looks.

"Fine." Sirius snorted as he got up halfway through supper.

"Padfoot! Sit down now!" Remus snapped.

"I told you I'd do it, Moony!" He replied as he made his way down the length of the table. Remus could only watch in horror.


	3. Chapter 3

Aislin looked up from her conversation with Demi, intent on telling off whomever it was that was butting in. But the words died before they left her mouth, thankfully. She forced herself to close her mouth, and then to smile.

"Hi." She managed. She silently thanked God and every other celestial being, that it hadn't come up strangled.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" He asked. His voice was perfect. Everything about him was perfect. He gestured to the seat across the table from her, where Demi was sitting.

Demi gave her a silent thumbs-up before quickly excusing herself and leaving the Great Hall. "Not at all." Aislin replied. Her heart was racing, for a moment she thought she might faint, but she forced herself to stay calm.

He sat down and casually began studying her. She indulged in the moment to do the same to him. He was perfect, she kept telling herself. His black hair fell to his shoulders in an unruly, but attractive, mess. His black eyes regarded her coolly. She couldn't help herself from smiling at him.

"Are you going with anyone to Hogsmeade next weekend?" He asked. Her heart skipped a beat.

"No." She answered, her smile growing. Could this really be happening to her?

"Good." He said. She raised her eyebrow at him. He smiled then, "Remus wants to go with you."

Her mind went blank for a moment. Remus? No, not Remus! She wanted Sirius. "W-what?" She asked in disbelief.

He leaned forward then, his face coming so close. She just wanted to kiss him. She bit her lip, this wasn't happening. How could he build her hope up like this just to crush it beneath his perfect feet?

"Remus has liked you for years. Just go to Hogsmeade with him, please." Sirius said quietly, as though this were some deep and dark secret. She glanced down the table, Remus was sitting with his head in his hands, staring at his plate.

"Then he should have asked me himself." She spat, suddenly angry. She knew what was going on now. Remus obviously knew she liked Sirius, so he'd sent him over to convince her. He probably expected she'd do anything Sirius would ask her to.

"He's been trying to all day." Sirius answered in surprise.

"You can tell Remus that I'm disgusted in his tactics. And you!" She said as she stood up angrily, "I'm not so in love with you that I'd do anything you say. You both disgust me."

She just managed to see the look of shock register on his face before she stormed out of the Great Hall. As she turned the corner, she ran straight into Hagrid. She bounced off his huge frame and nearly fell on the floor but he caught her and pulled her back onto her feet.

"Aislin, jus' tha one I wanted to see." He said, "Oh, you look down righ' fiery tonigh'." He added.

"What?" She snapped irritably, then wrestled for control of herself. "I'm sorry, why were you looking for me?" She tried again more calmly.

"You'll never believe wha' I found." He said excitedly. Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear. Her eyes went wide.

"No way! In the forest? Where?" She demanded in excitement, her anger completely forgotten for the moment.

"Yeah, just down pas' Aragog's cave. It was hurt when I found it. I think it had a run in with the centaurs, you know. I removed the arrows and put some salve on it. I don't know if it will help, I don' know tha' much abou' em." He said quietly then straightened up as he saw Professor McGonagall coming their way. "Yup, there sure are some uh . . . pretty unicorns ou' there."

McGonagall gave them a disproving look before turning into the Great Hall. Hagrid discreetly walked away back towards his hut. She hurried upstairs and threw her books on the table. She had to do her homework quickly.

Thankfully she'd managed to transfigure her owl and hadn't been assigned an essay for it, but she did have one in Herbology about the characteristics of a matured mandrake's fatal scream. She loved Herbology and the twelve-inch essay was nearly complete by the time the Common Room began to fill up. She noticed all four of the Marauders watching her but she carefully ignored them as she finished.

As she was packing up her materials, Remus came towards her. She didn't look at him. "I'm sorry . . . about Sirius. I told him I didn't want his help, but he wouldn't listen." He said quietly.

She didn't say anything, she just turned her back on him and disappeared up the stairs to the girls dorms.


	4. Chapter 4

Remus watched her go. He was furious at Sirius. He knew it hadn't gone well when she'd stormed out of the Great Hall without finishing her supper. When Sirius came back and reiterated their conversation, Remus became livid. He'd have been furious too, if it had been him.

But the worst of it was the look in Sirius' eye. It was something he hadn't seen in a while, it was determined. The girls had come flocking towards him for years now, there wasn't any challenge in it anymore. But Aislin hadn't given in to him, and Remus could already tell that he was beginning to like her. Sirius could never pass up a challenge.

When they'd returned to the Common Room she'd been sitting at a table by herself, her quill moving frantically across the page. He'd seen the lust in Sirius' eyes as they all sat by the fire, watching her. He had to do something and he had to do quick, before Sirius managed to get her.

He knew Sirius too well. He'd wouldn't usually do anything to hurt his friends, but when he found something he wanted badly nothing would stop him, not even the prospect of losing friends. Remus kicked himself into action, he needed to get back on her good side, so he went over to apologize.

She hadn't even looked at him. She hadn't said anything. She'd just turned her back on him and walked away. He sat down in her recently vacated seat and sighed. He could still smell her, that same intoxicating smell that had forced his mind blank the night before. He dropped his head into his arms, what could he do?

He must have fallen asleep because when he woke up the Common Room was dark and empty, or almost empty. He looked up just in time to see a flash of golden blonde hair silently disappear through the portrait hole. His mind was racing, what could she be doing? Going out to meet a secret boyfriend? To study?

He raced up to his dorms and silently began rummaging through James' trunk. He found what he was looking for quickly before hurrying back down to the Common Room, tapping the Marauders Map as he went. He watched her progress from the map as she slowly slipped through the corridors towards the front door.

He threw on James' invisibility cloak and, holding the map against his chest, followed her. The cool night air awakened his senses. He didn't need the map anymore, he could quite clearly see her creeping across the grounds towards the forest. He tucked the map in his pocket and quickened his pace. Why would she be going into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night?

He caught up to her, and followed silently a couple paces behind. She'd drawn her wand out as she'd entered the forest. Remus did the same, not wanting to be caught unawares. She looked around quickly, looked right through him, before whispering "Lumos."

The tip of her wand lighted and she held it over her head as she quickly made her way deeper into the forest. She seemed to know exactly where she was going and Remus followed. They walked deeper and deeper into the forest, Remus trying his best to keep quiet.

They passed a deep cave under a tree covered with huge spiderwebs and he was glad that wasn't her destination, but she quickened her pace, as though in excitement. And then she stopped. Remus looked around and the first thing he noticed was blood. There was a great smear of it dried on the leaves on the ground.

He saw her looking around nervously and he wondered what she had been keeping there. He didn't have to wait long. There was suddenly a great crashing through the woods and a monstrous beast appeared. It was easily eight feet tall with arms as wide as Remus' legs. The beast had hoofed feet and was covered with short brown hair. Then Remus looked up and realized just what it was. The head was that of a bull's with an angry looking snout, furious brown eyes, and two six inch horns shooting out of the top of it's head. What the hell was she going out into the forest to see a minotaur for?

Before either of them could react, it had chosen to attack. It's huge arm swatted out at Aislin, catching her across the stomach and sending her flying right into him. The cloak slipped off him as they both fell to the ground at the force of the blow.

She didn't even look at him, she was up before he could say anything with her wand at the ready. "Impedimenta!" She said loudly and a shot of light flew out of the end of her wand. It bounced off the beast's chest without any effect as it continued towards them. She cast the same spell over and over as it got closer and closer, but none had any effect on it.

Remus jammed the cloak in his pocket and jumped to his feet, shoving her out of the way as the minotaur sent another blow. It caught Remus in the back and made his mind reel, he toppled over Aislin. He forced himself back to his feet and pointed his wand at the beast, "Incarcerous!" He yelled.

Thick ropes shot from the end of the want, wrapping themselves around the minotaur. He grabbed Aislin's arm, threw the cloak over them, and began dragging her away. He didn't have any idea how long the beast would be bound, but judging by the size of the thing it wouldn't be long.

He spotted an opening at the bottom of one of the huge trees of the forest and dragged them inside, making sure the cloak was still covering them completely. The opening was only just big enough for the two of them to fit crouched up in. Her slight frame was pressed up against his chest, her hair a golden backdrop to her pale face. Then he noticed the blood.

She had a huge cut up the side of her face and was unconscious. He cursed and ripped a piece off his robes to use as a bandage. He needed to get her to the infirmary. He was about to jump out of their hiding spot and carry her back to the school when he heard a loud roar and a snap. His spell had already broken.

The lumbering beast crashed through the forest towards them. No doubt it could still smell them. He held her tight against his chest and felt her stir beneath his touch. He looked down at her, her blue eyes were wide open in shock. Then she saw the giant hoofed feet outside of their hiding spot and screamed.

It was a piercing scream, that didn't leave any doubt that the one uttering it was feeling true horror. The birds in the canopy awoke and set to the air to get away. Remus clapped his hand over her mouth to shut her up, but it was too late. The minotaur turned and looked right at them, even though it couldn't see them.

If Remus had known anything about minotaurs he might not have panicked as much, but he didn't know that beings that were half human hated their beast side. A minotaur would never lower itself on to all fours like a common cow, never. So, in short, his hiding place was ideal, although terrifying.

The minotaur would come up to the opening of their sanctuary and kick at them. One time a hoof got Remus in the side of the head, the pain was excruciating and he had to force his vision not to shrink by pure will alone. They squished closer to the back of their refuge and waited.

The minotaur eventually gave up it's assault and waited, sitting down on it's haunches, staring into the hole beneath the tree, staring right at them as though it could see them through the invisibility cloak.

She went unconscious again, or fell asleep, Remus didn't know. He brushed his hand against her cheek. The bandage he'd wrapped to her head was soaked in blood, but it was drying now. How could she still look perfect after being tossed around by a minotaur? Then he noticed their proximity. She was sitting between his bent legs, laying against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. He could feel her shallow breaths brushing against his neck. And he had his arms around her, resting gently on her ribs.

He forced the realization away. They were trapped, he kept telling himself. They were trapped in a rotten opening at the base of a tree in the Forbidden Forest with a violent minotaur waiting for them to emerge so it could rip them to shreds. He needed to think. How were they going to get out of this?

He pulled the map back out of his pocket and looked at it. He could make out the shape of dots moving around but couldn't read their names. He risked a lumos spell and studied it. James, Sirius and Peter were all in their beds. Hagrid was in his hut, no doubt asleep. In fact, very few people were moving. Filch was patrolling the hallways, Dumbledore was pacing in his office and Professor McGonagall was just heading back to her chambers from the ladies loo.

He had no idea how they were going to get out of this mess. "Nox." He whispered and the light went out. He put the map away in his pocket and dropped his head in defeat.


	5. Chapter 5

Aislin awoke very uncomfortably. Her entire midriff was aching and her head was throbbing. She was also in a very odd position. She tried to move, to get the feeling to return to her butt and legs and gasped as sharp pain shot through her entire body. It was then that she noticed the hands, one resting casually on her right breast, the other on her left hip.

She jerked her head up; it was Remus. The side of his face was covered with a huge U-shaped bruise accompanies by cuts around the sides of it. He was sleeping, his head resting on her shoulder. How had he gotten there? Where were they?

She looked at her surroundings then spotted the haunches of a minotaur and it all came flooding back to her. Well, not all of it. She remembered looking through the forest, Hagrid had told her where do go, that the minotaur was almost dead. But when she got there, it was gone. She thought that maybe the centaurs had come back to finish it off and she had turned to leave.

But it had crashed back through forest towards her in her mind she could only think of one thing; it was coming towards her and she needed to stop it. To stop. Impedimenta, that was the spell she needed to use. Impedimenta. But then her mind went blank, what had happened after that? How had Remus found her?

He stirred, his lips grazing against her neck, she blushed. He opened his eyes and jerked away, then hastily pulled his hands away, realizing where they had been. They didn't say anything, both staring at the massive haunches still waiting for them to emerge.

"Do you have a book? Do you think we could take it out with a wok?" She asked quietly.

He stared at her for a moment before his lips cracked into a smile and he let out a rough laugh. "I don't want to be the one to try it out. And I don't have a book anyway." He said quietly. His voice was kind of gravelly, like there was something wild in him that tried to make it's way out every once in a while. She shivered; she could feel his breath against her cheek.

"How did you know I was out here?" She asked, trying not to focus on the fact that she could feel his muscular chest pressed against her back.

"I saw you leaving so I followed you." He said quietly. "What the hell were you doing going to find a minotaur in the middle of the night?"

She rubbed her hand across her face and winced as she noticed the bandage, "Hagrid said it was dying, that it had been attacked by the centaurs. I just wanted to see it before it died. I'd never seen one before."

"That one," He said as he pointed toward the chestnut brown haunches they could see, "Is in perfect health."

"I don't know. Maybe there's more than one of them." She muttered. "Thanks for . . . thanks for saving me, by the way."

She felt him shrug behind her, felt his chest flex with the motion. She blushed but there was nowhere she could go, she was stuck in a three foot hole with a boy she was beginning to find more and more attractive. She focused her thoughts on something else, anything else. She stared at the dirt under her fingernails, but felt every breath he made. His chest would rise then he would exhale the air in a little ticked at the back of her neck. She bit her lip and forced her mind to the amount of trouble they were in.

Everything she knew about minotaurs flooded before her minds eyes. In legend, minotaurs ate seldom, 14 children, all at once, once a year. And it seemed patient. She poked her head out to get a better look at it. It saw her and was up on it's feet in no time. Remus pulled her back, and she realized they were under an invisibility cloak.

"Sorry." She whispered as the minotaur attempted kicking at them again. They squished together again, pushing themselves as close to the back wall as they could. She closed her eyes, trying not to notice that his mouth was right behind ear or that his arm was hugging her tightly against his chest. Her stomach throbbed with pain but she was too terrified to move as a huge hoof kept stomping at the opening, trying to get at them.

After what seemed like an hour, the beast stopped and returned to sitting on its haunches staring at the opening. As soon as it had gone back to it's spot she opened her robes and lifted up her shirt. She cursed; there was an eight-inch band of bruising across her stomach and ribs. She heard Remus hiss behind her but ignored it at she probed the bruising with her fingers.

"It hit me?" She asked, wincing as she found a particularly sore spot.

"Yeah, it sent you flying right into me." He answered. When she looked up she noticed that his gaze would slowly slip from her stomach. She looked back down and realized her grey, knee-length skirt was bunch up around her hips. She quickly pushed down her shirt and closed her robes again. They sat in silence again.


	6. Chapter 6

Remus was finding it hard to think. It was funny that the only time he ever lost track of his thoughts was when he was with her. Even the smell of her hair made his mind go around in circles. So after she'd opened her robe and he'd seen her bare, shapely legs he was surprised he'd even managed to breath. Then he'd noticed what had drawn her attention, a nasty looking bruise from when she'd been knocked off her feet.

He was furious with himself for not being able to control his roving eye. He hadn't wanted to stare at her legs, imagining the rest of her firm, fit body, but his eyes didn't want to listen to his brain. He was becoming more like Sirius by the second, he thought bitterly as he sat blushing in the silence. She wasn't looking at him, thankfully. He didn't want her to see how mortified he was that she'd caught him looking.

_Get a hold over yourself!_ His mind snapped angrily as he realized his thoughts were out of control. His stomach grumbled and he was thankful to think about that instead of the way she was still pressed up against him. He wished he'd eaten more the night before, but he'd been so furious at Sirius for trying to ask her out for him. No doubt she was just as hungry, she'd fled the Great Hall almost before she'd started eating.

He heard her stomach growl and smiled. "God, I'm hungry." She muttered. "I wish we had something to eat, even a couple pieces of toast. Anything would do-" She stopped, a plate of toast that just, somehow, Apparated onto her lap. They stared at it for a few minutes. She reached her hand out to it, but he pulled it away.

"What if it's a trap? The thing can still hear us." He asked.

She shook her head, "Minotaurs don't know magic." She said as she grabbed a piece of toast. Her grabbed one too, thankful he'd be able to tame the monster in his belly. It was plain, it didn't even have butter on it, but he didn't care. He was starving.

When they'd finished off the stack the plate disappeared. "Does this mean that someone up at the school knows where we are?" He asked.

She shrugged in response and they fell back into silence. Apparently it didn't mean that someone knew where they were because no one came looking for them. They fell asleep again for a while and when they awoke the sky outside was already getting darker.

"Remus?" She asked finally, in a quiet whisper. She was laying against his chest, her face tilted up, looking at him. He closed his eyes. He could kiss her, was the only thought that surfaced in his head for a moment. At that angle, all he would have to do it drop his head a little, and their lips would touch. He almost did it, but he caught himself first and wrenched his mind back to reality.

"Yeah?" He asked, she was still looking at him. He was acutely aware of their bodies touching.

"Was . . . how come you don't ever date?" She asked after a hesitation. He wondered what her first question had been. But why didn't he date? What could he tell her without feeling completely embarrassed? Not that he'd fallen in love with her, until yesterday she'd hardly realized that he'd existed, especially not in _that_ sense.

He shrugged, "I don't know . . . commitment issues?" He said awkwardly, then kicked himself. Now she'd think he didn't really want her.

"Oh," She said and looked back down at her hands. He had to make it right.

"No." He said quickly, "I just have some . . . awkward secrets that I'd have to tell any people I dated and a lot of people don't know how to keep secrets." He waited for a moment then realized what he'd said. "Not awkward awkward like I'm gay or anything, and I do trust you it's just . . ." Now what was he supposed to say?

"It's fine, Remus. It doesn't matter." She said as she examined her fingernails and the silence continued.

It was well past sundown when they finally heard people shouting their names. He quickly shot his arm out of their hiding spot and shot red sparks up into the air. This sent in minotaur into a rage again, but they heard the shouts of the search party coming closer.

When their rescuers finally emerged on the scene, there was a hurried shouting of spells and what sounded distinctly like an arrow being released. After a moment, there was silence and then a loud thump as the minotaur fell to the ground.

Remus pushed Aislin out of their refuge and crawled out after her, every muscle in his body screaming in protest to the movement. When he looked up he was looking straight into Professor McGonagall's face. Her usually severe expression was replaced with one of fear and concern. Behind her Aislin was being wrapped in a blanket by Professor Sprout. Dumbledore stood to the side, watching them knowingly, while Hagrid stood at his side looking sheepishly at Aislin with his crossbow resting on his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

They spent the next day in the infirmary, being treated for their injuries, the cold and malnutrition. Aislin had broken two ribs, Remus had a broken collar bone. But neither of them talked to each other. The Marauders had come to see how Remus was doing, cheering raucously as he described to them what happened.

Demi had come in to visit her in the morning, making sure she was okay before hurrying off to classes, promising to let her borrow the notes when she got out of the infirmary. At one point in time, as she listened to Remus in deep conversation with James, recounting just how ferocious the minotaur had been, she noticed Sirius had quietly made his way over to her bed.

"Hey," He said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

She looked at him in surprise. She'd almost just gotten his friend killed and he was coming to see how she was doing? "I'm fine, we should both be out by tonight."

He nodded, his long black hair swaying with the movement. What could he want? "That's good. Uh . . ." He said as he scratched his head and looked over his shoulder at his friends. They hadn't noticed he was missing yet. "Remus didn't ask you to go to Hogsmeade with him, did he?"

She shook her head, why did he care?

He smiled at her kindly, "Well, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

"What?" She demanded, instantly suspicious. Was this a trick?

"It's fine if you don't want to. I just thought I'd ask." He said quickly. He looked nervous. Sirius Black was never nervous, especially when it came to girls.

"I thought you had a girlfriend." She said, mind still whirling at the fact that he had actually, finally, actually asked her out.

"We broke up." He shrugged.

She smiled; he was finally hers? "Yeah, I'd love to go with you?" She said.

Before she could see his reaction, someone called his name. He whipped around, looking guilty; the Marauders were all looking at him. She caught the angry look in Remus' eye but everyone was distracted by Peter, who began asking Sirius if he thought he could fend off a minotaur on his own.


	8. Chapter 8

He'd known the second he'd seen them talking together in the infirmary; the second he'd whipped around as though caught in the act of stealing. He had been caught in the act of stealing, but that didn't mean he'd returned what he'd stolen.

He began to notice the very next day what effect it had on both of them. Sirius smiled more, he was smiling all the time. At breakfast Aislin and Demi hadn't sat at their usual place at the end of the table, instead they sat next to Sirius. Remus noticed the shiver that had gone through her and the smile smiled that emerged on her lips when Sirius had accidentally on purpose grazed her arm with his hand while reaching for a piece of toast. The same kind of touch he'd given her days ago and received no reaction from.

In class, they would sit together. They'd write notes to each other on the same piece of paper and lean in to each other as though to look at each other's notes. After class they sat together close on the couch by the fire, holding hands. They weren't making out like he had with his last girlfriend, but he could tell, by the look in his eyes and the way that she was biting her lip, that it wasn't very far from either of their minds.

He'd gone upstairs without a word and now he was sitting on his bed in the dark, torn between crying into his pillow and storming back down into the Common Room to beat the life out of Sirius for his betrayal. Instead, he did nothing; he just sat in the dark and stared out the window, fuming inside. He wondered, cruelly, for how long Aislin could hold Sirius' attention. One week? Two? A month maybe? Sirius had never stayed in a relationship for longer than a month.

Then he wondered why, in the name of Merlin, hadn't he asked her first? He'd been alone with her for a day and a night. She'd been pressed against his body for 28 hours and he'd never just told her how he felt. The closest he got to it was saying something about awkward secrets.

The Hogsmeade weekend came, but he stayed at the school. He didn't want to think about what he was missing out on, and he didn't want to think about what _they_ were doing. After a lonely supper, most people hadn't come back from the village yet, he made his was to the library. He needed to find a good book to keep his mind off _them_.

It was past midnight when he finally decided to pack it in for the evening. He'd read through an entire volume detailing the Goblin Wars. Even the book managed to come off more exciting than Professor Binns' History of Magic class. He made his way back to the Common Room, but as he crawled in through the portrait hole, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Sirius had pinned Aislin against the wall and was kissing her ferociously while his hands ravaged around her body; under her shirt, her back, her face. Aislin was as bad, her hands tangled in his hair or running across his back. Remus' mind was blank for a moment before he silently backed out of the room and closed the portrait hole.

"Well, come on boy, are you going in or not?" The Fat Lady demanded from her regal place in the portrait.

Remus ignored her and fled back down the hall. He was completely numb. Of course, he'd known this would happen, had even suspected it happened whenever he'd left the Common Room at night. But he hadn't been ready for the shock of it; for the blinding jealousy or the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. It tasted like betrayal, jealously and rage all at the same time.

He ended up collapsing in some corridor on the second floor as far away from the Gryffindor Common Room as he could. How could Sirius have done this to him? Weren't they best friends? How could he? Would he always only be second best?


	9. Chapter 9

Aislin began to notice small but definite differences after their date to Hogsmeade. Sirius became more distant. He spent less time in the Common Room with her. He wouldn't kiss her as much, although he still did. He obviously couldn't help himself from kissing girls, but his kisses towards her had become less enthusiastic, less passionate. Their date had been perfect, but she knew Sirius. She'd studied him for years, discovering the cause of each and every one of his breakups.

Now she was sitting in a cubicle in the girl's bathroom two weeks after their date, hidden from view and determined to come up with a plan to win him back. She couldn't lose him, she wasn't like the other girls. She was unique. He liked uniqueness, he couldn't stand a challenge.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by the loud giggles of a group of girls. "He just asked you? Out of the blue?" One girl demanded.

"Yeah! I was just sitting in the library studying and he sat next to me and asked me to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with him. And then, guess what! He kissed me!" Another girl replied.

She almost stopped listening, going back to her thoughts when their next comment shocked her. "No way! Sirius Black kissed you? I thought he was going out with that weird, tom-boyish girl."

His newest bimbo laughed spitefully. "Come on, you don't really think that _she_ would be able to hold _his_ attention for long, did you? I mean, look at her, it's not exactly like she's his style. Besides, I'm not going to give up my chance to be with him. He's a god amongst men."

The girls continued to giggle as they left the lavatory. She wasn't furious, she was fury; the manifestation of fury unleashed on earth. Her blood was pounding in her ears as she stormed out of the bathroom and up to the Common Room. She was surprised and pleased when she found it empty except for the Marauders who seemed to be ushering a pale Remus out.

She slammed the portrait hole shut and they looked up at her in surprise. "You are some piece of work, Sirius Black." She hissed and, before he could react, grabbed the thick Potions manual that had been left on the table and swung it at his face. He stumbled and fell over one of the low coffee tables, falling to the ground with an 'oomph'.

He was up and out of her reach mere seconds before the book fell with a heavy thump where his head had been a moment before. "What the hell has gotten into you, Aislin!" He demanded as he held a hand to his sore cheek.

"Why don't you ask you newest whore?" She demanded and threw the nearest thing that came into reach, a blown out candle holder, at him. "What's her name, Sirius, or do you even know?" She demanded and whipped something else at him, she wasn't sure what it was. Sirius gazed at her in shock as she continued towards him, throwing anything that came into reach. She knew, of course, that he'd never been confronted of his philandering by any of his past girlfriends but she wasn't ready for the shock of what came next.

Before she could throw her next item, he dove at her and wrestled her to the ground. Then he had the audacity to crush his lips against hers. Her knee connected with his groin the same second her fist connected with her face. "You're disgusting." She spat as she pushed his frame off her. "Don't even think about talking to me, or touching me again. You're a pig." She hissed before storming back out of the Common Room.

Her mind was in jumbles. She needed to clear her head. Without even thinking about where she was going she wound her way through the corridors, only stopping to realize where she was headed as he pushed through the massive front gates of the castle. Of course, she thought, the forest always calms me.

She slipped easily and quietly through the overgrown forest, the knew it's paths as well as Hagrid did. But her fury wouldn't be abated, every once in a while she would end up kicking the trunk of a tree or throwing a rock or broken branch that she found in the undergrowth.

How could she have been so dumb? How could she have thought that Sirius Black, the boy with the record for most girlfriends in one year, would have cared about her more than all the other girls? How could she have been so blind? How could she have wanted him so badly that she'd let her heart take over her reason? Why hadn't she realized?

But she had, she told herself angrily. She'd known all along that she couldn't change him. Deep down she'd known. She was no better than that girl in the bathroom. She'd just wanted her turn with that god amongst men. But how could she have not have expected this?

Around and around her thoughts swirled, it was hours later before something in the forest spooked her enough to draw her back to reality. Not too far off she could hear the howling of something that was definitely wolfish. She knew the centaurs tolerated very few predators in their forest, and wolves were not on the list.

She looked at her surroundings, she was deep inside the forest, possibly an hour's walk straight back to the school. She turned in the direction of the school but stopped as a second howl came from that direction, this time noticeably closer.


	10. Chapter 10

Remus was stirred in a primal mixture of fury and shock as he'd watched Aislin accuse Sirius of infidelity. How could Sirius do something like that to _her_? But he hadn't had time to accuse him himself because the full moon was approaching. He needed to get to the infirmary and then to the Shrieking Shack.

He didn't say anything as they made their way to the hospital wing, James was in shock on his right and Sirius was seething on his left. Peter followed behind in silence, but he didn't speak much on full moon anyway. He could already feel the monster inside him anxious to get out. It sickened him. It made him weak. If only he could control this thing, this monster, then maybe things would have been different. Maybe it would have been him that Aislin had come to see tonight, and she'd give him sweet kisses instead of throwing books at Sirius.

But he couldn't control it. It didn't obey his commands. It was wild, without a master, unbridled muscle, terror and fear. What was he to that? How was he, the shy, smart, schoolboy, supposed to control that beast?

When the change finally came, alone in the Shrieking Shack, it seemed almost enjoyable. Why couldn't he lose control sometimes? Why hadn't he punched Sirius and thrown books at him weeks ago? How could he have betrayed him like that? Why? Why? His mind was screaming. How could he have hurt her like that?

He broke out of the Shrieking Shack, with the Marauders help, and ran into the Forbidden Forest. He needed to get away from them, but they were following him like always; like parasites. But he didn't need them tonight, he needed to run. He needed to release his rage. He ignored the others, tried to leave them behind, crashing through the low branches of the forest, howling his rage and sorrow out into the night. He needed release.

Then he could smell it. A human was nearby. The beast became excited, pushing itself faster through the underbrush. The Dog; Sirius, sped up as well. He could smell it too, but he wouldn't take this from him. This would be his kill. This would be all his. He wouldn't share this with anyone, especially not with the Dog. The Dog had already taken too much from him.

They broke through the clearing; he could see her, a shadowy outline, turning to flee from him. But it was hopeless. She would never get away. The Dog jumped in front of him, determined to stop him, but what is a Dog compared to a wolf? They dove at each other, snapping their drooling jowls in each other's faces. He pushed and the Dog fell. Dogs were no match for wolves. It slid down the hill and didn't move at the bottom.

Next was the Stag. Stags were nothing to wolves. Stags were food. But not to this wolf. This wolf wanted human blood; human flesh. The Stag charged, caught him in the side with it's huge rack, but it wouldn't defeat him. No one would defeat him. He swiped at it and pushed it's feet out from underneath it. It slid down the hill, toppling on top of the Dog.

The Rat! The Rat! Where was the Rat? His mind screamed. Then he caught sight of it, he'd scurried up a tree and changed back into a human. A fat little human boy who was trying to help his prey escape. But she wouldn't get away. She couldn't. He _needed_ this. He needed to tear flesh. It was the only way to get rid of this rage, this pain, this monster!

She was already in the low branches of the tree, trying furiously to get away. He jumped, his jaws catching on the bottom of her robes. She screamed, clinging desperately to the trunk of the tree, but it was hopeless, he knew this. He jerked his head and the branch snapped under the strain of their weight.

They both tumbled to the ground. Her boot had managed to kick him away in the fall, but he recovered quickly. She lay still for a moment, he hoped she was only stunned by the force of the fall and not dead already. He didn't want her if she was already dead. Then she shuddered and he knew she was ripe for the taking. She was weak and he was powerful; he would rip her limb from limb, reveling in the violence of it.

Then she looked up and he froze. _No!_ His mind screamed and managed to halt the beast's lunge. _Not her!_

Then something that had never happened to him before happened. The beast responded. "_She is weak. She is easy." _It growled, it's voice everything Remus could imagine as wild, feral and vicious.

"_No. I love her. We love her."_ He cried, desperate for it to understand. There was not point in continuing if he knew he wouldn't see her again. "_We need her."_

He was helpless as the beast slowly stalked towards her, sticking it's snout down against her face and sniffing. "_She smells like the Dog." _It sneered triumphantly. "_She belongs to the Dog."_

_"No! She's mine and you will not touch her." _He yelled. _"I'm still here! This is my body! This is my life! And I love her!"_

He felt the beast's anger. They shared this body. They shared this life. It tried to push him back, to take complete control, to shove him to the side to be allowed to make the kill. But Remus wouldn't budge. This was a mental war; each pushing against the other, forcing the other back into the darkness of the mind; to the place where they would lose control.

"_I love her." _Remus yelled over again and again, but the wolf would howl and laugh that she wasn't his. He was determined though. He needed to save her. He needed her to live so that he could live.

Then his mind was flooded with memories, the wolf's power was diminishing. He was remembering her, pressed against him in their sanctuary waiting for rescue from the minotaur. He remembered her bending her head close to his as they worked on her essay. He remembered the gentle touch he'd given her and the way it had sent shivers down his spine. He remembered the way her hair shone like liquid gold in the firelight of the Common Room late at night and the way her eyes would connect with his sometimes, like she could see into his soul; but she obviously couldn't or she would have seen this monster inside of him.

And he began to cry. "_Not her. Not her. I love her."_ He remembered every little moment that she had been kind to him. In third year she'd brought him a basket of cookies back from Christmas holidays because the full moon had been only days before the break and he'd been sick. He remembered the way she'd hugged him after getting an A on an exam he'd helped her study for during fifth year. "_I need her. You can't have her. No, I love her."_


	11. Chapter 11

Aislin was frozen in terror. The werewolf had come out of nowhere and beaten back at giant dog and a stag without any sign of weakness. Somehow, Peter Pettigrew had appeared in the tree behind her and had begun pulling her up. She had to get away from the beast, but it had come straight towards her, pulling her out of the tree by her robes.

How was she supposed to get away from something so large; from something so terrible? Then it had slowly stalked up to her, like she was something it wanted to play with rather than eat and maul and destroy. She'd squeezed her eyes shut as it's massive jaws had closed in on her neck. But it didn't bite her, it sniffed her, as though wondering if she was worthy enough for it to kill her.

She was shaking, how could she not? Then she'd felt it shudder beside her. She'd managed to peek open her eyes, she'd wished it would have killed her quickly, rather than giving her this small glimmer of hope. It's eyes were furious, monstrous yellow eyes, and a dripping snarl pulled it's jowls away from it's long, sharp teeth. But it wasn't focused on her anymore, the eyes seemed focused inwards.

It howled twice and she'd jumped, how was she going to get away? This couldn't happen to her. She still had a life to live. She still had to discover so many things. She couldn't die now, not tonight. This wasn't her time! Fate wouldn't allow it. She was supposed to die decades later, happily in her sleep with a whole following of friends and family to mourn after her.

She squeezed her eyes shut and began silently praying that she wouldn't die. Her thoughts drifted to Remus. Had it only been a couple weeks since he'd helped her with that essay? Had it only been a couple weeks since they'd sat, heads bowed together, discussing how they would fend off a werewolf with a silver wok.

_Relax, I doubt I'm ever going to run into a werewolf. And if I did, I wouldn't ask you to save me from it with a silver wok._ The words were ironic now. She had run into a werewolf and she would have done anything in the world for Remus to come and save her from it, with a wok or otherwise. "I wish Remus was here." She found she'd whispered the words out loud.

"No! I love her!" The yelled words seemed deafening in the silence. Her eyes flew open. Remus was bracing himself on top of her, pale, sweating and shaking. His clothes were in rags and tears were streaming down her face. "Aislin." He whispered, touching her cheek gently, before collapsing on top of her.

"Remus! Remus! Wake up!" She cried as she shook him. This doesn't make sense, her mind cried. He groaned and his cold body slid off her. He sprawled onto his back but didn't open his eyes.

"Aislin! Get up! Get away from him." Sirius yelled from somewhere behind her. He grabbed her and tried to pull her away from Remus but she resisted.

"No! Remus is hurt! Remus is hurt!" She cried, trying to hold onto his cold body. Why was he so cold? "Don't be dead, Remus!" Tears were filling her eyes.

Sirius managed to pull her away, his face was covered in scratches and blood. James limped up behind him looking no better. They all looked at Remus but he didn't move. She was crying now and collapsed into Sirius' chest. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. He'd scared the werewolf away for her.

Sirius was holding her tight, his head resting on hers as he tried to sooth her. Then she heard it, a slow, painful moan. She whipped around, Remus' eyes were open in tiny slits, watching them. She pushed Sirius away and collapsed next to him before Sirius could grab her again.

"Oh, Remus! Oh, Remus." Was all she could manage to utter as she hugged him against her chest.

She felt him grab a fistful of her hair and watched him as he stared at it like some great treasure. "Liquid gold." He whispered before kissing her softly on the lips. She felt numb for a moment but before she could do anything, his eyes were focused on Sirius, James and Peter.

"I'm sorry. Go." He whispered before closing his eyes again.

Sirius pulled her up again and began dragging her away despite her protests. "No! You can't just leave him there like that! What if it comes back? You just can't! It's going to come back." She screamed as she fought to break his hold on her. "You coward, Sirius! You're leaving him for the werewolf!"

"Aislin!" He yelled as he shook her. "Remus _is_ the werewolf!"

"What?" She whispered, her eyes suddenly too wide for their sockets.

"He managed, somehow, to stop it. To fight it. But he can't fight it long. We need to get as far away as we can." Sirius snapped as he continued to push them through the forest. "Can you change, James?"

"No such luck, Padfoot. I think he broke my leg." James replied from her other side. He'd taken her other arm and was assisting in dragging her through the forest with a pronounced limp.

"I can." Peter said determinedly.

James nodded, "Get back to the school as fast as you can. Tell Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore what's happened."

Peter nodded and began running up the trail, but soon he was out of sight in the darkness.

They continued in silence, for what seemed like hours, straining their ears to hear if the werewolf would follow them. She didn't want to think of that thing as Remus. Eventually they heard it, an angry howl that seemed to permeate every inch of the forest. They quickened their pace. Despite the terror of the events, she'd managed to come out of it relatively unscathed. Sure, her body was sore from the fall and she was shaking in terror, but Sirius was bleeding profusely from the head and James was limping on a broken leg. She could have had worse.

They stumbled out of the woods a half an hour later, greeted by the sight of Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey hurrying across grounds. Dumbledore conjured stretchers and levitated them, with James, Sirius and Aislin on top, back to the school, followed by Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore, on the other hand headed straight into the woods.

After being given an good sleeping draught and having their injuries mended, the three of them were released in the morning. Remus, however, was just being brought in when they were released. He was unconscious, covered in bruises and scratches, and paler than Aisel had ever seen anyone before.

Instead of returning to the Common Room they decided to stay with him, after persuading Madam Pomfrey that they wouldn't disturb any other patients. They each sat in a chair, James and Peter on one side of Remus' bed, Aisel and Sirius on the other. They sat in silence, heads bowed or watching Remus intently, but he didn't move.

She still couldn't get it through her head. How could Remus be a werewolf? He was so quiet and kind, she couldn't possibly think of him harming another. How could that kind of vicious beast reside inside of him? It didn't make sense.

"I'm sorry."

She was jerked out of her thoughts. Sirius was talking to her.

"What?" She asked, looking at him for the first time in about an hour. What was he talking about? She hadn't been listening.

"I'm sorry about everything I did to you. I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry for not bucking up and being a man when I wanted to move on. And I'm sorry for asking out Leanne before calling it off with you." He muttered quietly so the others couldn't hear.

She shook her head. He was worrying about this? Surely not. Not now; when Remus looked on the brink of death. "It's fine. I don't care. No girl will ever be able to hold your attention, and I was a fool to try. You're forgiven. And besides, we're supposed to be worrying about Remus now, not you."

He looked away from her, she saw a glint of annoyance in his eyes. What did he want? Did he want her to cry? Did he want her to beg him to take her back? She wasn't one of those bimbo'\s and she had more pride than to crawl back to any boy who could cheat on her behind her back, even if that boy was a god amongst men.

"He loves you, you know." He said after another minute. "He has for years."

She glanced back at him coolly. "Then you really are quite the friend."

He looked down at his feet, his arms rested on his knees. "No, but he is." He muttered. "He's always the one that we can count on, the best of all of us. Even with his furry little problem he manages to help us whenever he can. And he never complains even though he ought to the most, and how did I treat him? Like shit.

"I stole the only girl he ever wanted to date away from him. That's why he doesn't date, you know? He told me you'd asked him. He doesn't date because he only wants you, but he didn't want you to be turned away by . . . by his furry little problem. God, I feel like the worst person in the world, like I actually belong to my family. I'm the worst friend ever."

An arm suddenly flew out of nowhere, catching Sirius across the side of the head. "No, you're not." A weak voice crackled, "And I'd have forgiven you even if you'd married her, which I knew you wouldn't have. We're friends for life, Padfoot. And you're nothing like your family."

They all watched Remus as his eyes, half open, fell on Aislin. "But he's right, you know. You are the only person I've ever loved."

She smiled and took hold of his hand, "Remus?"

He smiled at her, "What?"

"I'm really, really sorry about the silver wok thing. I didn't know." She whispered.

He let out a sharp laugh, then winced. "Want to go to Hogsmeade weekend with me?" He asked.

"I'd love to."

The End


End file.
